Indiana-based Durand Jones & The Indications were one of Brody‚Äôs ‚ÄúTop Five‚Äù of SXSW 2018. The breakout soul band is touring in support of their self-titled debut album (out now via Dead Oceans/Colemine Records).

If you‚Äôre a fan of James Brown, Sharon Jones, Lee Fields, or Charles Bradley, you should be checking out Durand Jones.

Missio (Matthew Brue & David Butler) is in the middle of their ‚ÄúLoner Tour‚Äù, stopping by the Turf Club in St Paul this Monday, April 9th. The duo‚Äôs second EP Skeletons Part II is out now via RCA Records.

If you were wondering how to say Stuyedeyed, it‚Äôs pronounced like ‚Äústy-dyed‚Äù. The Brooklyn band will be headlining the 7th Street Entry on Tuesday, with the help of The Coax and Harper‚Äôs Jar (Devin Ware, Ian Robert, Kyle Kennedy).

American soul singer Bettye LaVette is bringing her eclectic musical style of blues, soul, gospel and country music to the Dakota Jazz Club‚Äôs stage on Thursday. LaVette‚Äôs new album Things Have Changed is an interpretation of five decades‚Äô worth of Bob Dylan songs.

Expect to hear LaVette‚Äôs version of classic songs like ‚ÄúThe Times They Are A-Changin‚Äô‚Äù ‚Ä¶ but obviously with a very different perspective.

Moon Ruin (aka Jared Bartman) will headlining the Icehouse in Minneapolis on April 12, as part of the promotional tour for their new record Slow Down Ego.

The album was performed and recorded with Mike Noyce (Bon Iver, Tallest Man On Earth) and Liam O'Brien (Holy Sheboygan) and mixed at Justin Vernon's April Base recording studio in Eau Claire, WI, Slow Down Ego inhabits a world where gauzy vocal washes glide across sinewy melody.

I don‚Äôt know anything about this band, but man, Japanese bands are the coolest. We‚Äôve seen a fair share of J-bands, and can tell you that they also have the best merchandises (anything from key chains, pins, original artwork, patches, plastic rings, and even hand towels?!?).

Anyway, come out to the Turf Club on Thursday to check out Acid Mothers Temple (shorten for Acid Mothers Temple & The Melting Paraiso U.F.O.) with Yoo Doo Right and Black Satori.

California‚Äôs Souvenirs (not to be confused with Souvenir Driver or Mike Fenuccio‚Äôs Souvenir) started the show.
The band (currently: Nolan, Riley, Tim, Vince) rocked a brief 25-min set, featuring ‚Äúmore than half‚Äù from a new album called Posture of Apology (available January 20th).

Please refer to the setlist provided.

The Chain Gang of 1974

Next up was The Chain Gang Of 1974 (not to be confused with Chain & the Gang, Chain Gang, or The Chain Gang). Although on recording, the band is very synth-pop friendly, but when they play live, they actually sound more rock than synth. This is mostly thanks to singer Kamtin Mohager and the way he sings and was highly energetic throughout the set.

Shortly after ‚ÄòGodless Girl‚Äô, Mohager dedicated ‚Äúthe entire set is going out to AFI.‚Äù
The band played a lot of songs from their 2014‚Äôs Daydream Forever (Warner Bros. Records), but throwing in their new single ‚ÄòI Still Wonder‚Äô near the end of their set... ending with ‚ÄòWallflowers‚Äô.

As for AFI, they started in 1991, led by singer Davey Havok. Currently the band features only two original members, Havok and drummer Adam Carson.

The band broke mainstream success with Sing The Sorrow in 2003, but the truth is that they already had millions of fans leading up to their breakout album.

Of course, like most bands that started very young, Davey Havok‚Äôs influences changed over time... particularly moving away from their hardcore punk roots to something more like ‚ÄúAlt Press‚Äù type sound.

Still, hearing AFI‚Äôs fans all sing to every song, including new songs, tells me a lot about their fanbase. They are a hardcore, dedicated fanbase and they love every AFI songs, from old to new.

At the end of the show, feeling the strong, strong support from the crowd, Havok and company treated the fans with a double encore: the first set featuring ‚ÄòThe Leaving Song‚Äô and ‚ÄòThis Celluloid Dream‚Äô and the second featuring ‚ÄòStrength Through Wounding‚Äô and ‚ÄòThe Lost Souls‚Äô.

AFI‚Äôs self-titled album (aka The Blood Album) is available now on Concord Music Group. Their remaining tour dates:

Personally speaking, I‚Äôm really excited to see that The Lemon Twigs is also on the bill. We caught the ‚ÄòTwigs last October 2016 and noted, ‚Äúbiggest buzz band I‚Äôve seen in a long time‚Äù.

Also on the bill Sam Roberts Band, Monica LaPlante and Zuluzuluu.

If $20 is too much for mostly local bands, head over to the 7th Street Entry, for about $10, you can catch one of the best live bands, Hollerado, with Savoy Motel and Sleep Study.

Nashville‚Äôs Savoy Motel is actually normally playing with The Lemon Twigs, but for this evening, the Current roped them for their show... Savoy Motel‚Äôs self-titled debut album is available on What‚Äôs Your Rupture? Records.

My brother‚Äôs favorite band AFI (not to be confused with the American Film Institute) will be headlining First Avenue this Monday!
The punk/emo band is touring in support of their tenth self-titled (aka The Blood Album) record.

The Chain Gang Of 1974 (aka Kamtin Mohager and not to be confused with The 1975 or Chain and the Gang) to open. The synth-pop band was just in town last November 2016, and we noted, ‚ÄúThis indie/electro pop group definitely got the crowd warmed up, just like an opener should, but the crowd seemed to respond to them a lot more than most opening acts. I think the main reason for that was the undeniable energy that was coming off of the stage. It may have been early in the night but singer Kamtin Mohager acted like he was headlining the show with how much he was moving around.‚Äù

01/27/17 Teen idol Aaron Carter will make an appearance at The Pourhouse this Friday.

01/27/17 Local
Porno Wolves will be playing the Triple Rock Club on Friday, with The Person and the People and The Modern Era. $10 will get you in the door. We previously saw Porno Wolves in August 2015 and wrote, ‚Äúcould probably play well over their 50-minute-ish set of rock jams and weeping guitars. This made me think that they are used to headlining or just not used to opening with short sets.‚Äù

01/27/17 Grammy-nominated recording artist Audien is currently on his first U.S. tour for 2017, making a stop at the will make an appearance at Rev Ultra Lounge in Minneapolis this Friday

01/29/17
Emo band Dashboard Confessional is back! They‚Äôll be playing First Avenue this Sunday. I don‚Äôt know why I‚Äôm excited about this... I haven‚Äôt seen the band since 2003 or so.

01/29/17 Boston folk singer Catie Curtis will be playing the Cedar Cultural Center on Sunday. Show up and find out why the New Yorker called her a ‚Äúfolk-rock goddess‚Äù. Curtis‚Äô latest Flying Dream is out now.

01/31/17 Teen Queen Cherry Glazerr is currently touring in support of their new album Apocalipstick (Secretly Canadian). They‚Äôll be headlining the 7th Street Entry. Slow Hollows to open.